South Australia’s high-speed road network is safer according to latest AusRAP ratings with the length of 3-star or better roads increasing by 54 per cent since 2014.
Le Programme Australien d'Évaluation des Routes (AusRAP) uses Star Ratings to evaluate road safety risk and the benefits of road safety treatments to inform investment priorities into potentially life-saving upgrades.
South Australia’s latest assessment, undertaken in 2023 and 2025, shows a substantial improvement in the proportion of regional roads achieving 3-star or better safety ratings, with almost 3,000 kilometres of the assessed network recording an improved rating since the first assessment in 2014.
More than 1,500 km of road length has been improved to a 3-star or better rating.
Austroads Chief Executive Dr Geoff Allan said the results demonstrate the value of long-term investment in safer roads and participation in a nationally consistent road safety assessment programme.
“South Australia’s results show what can be achieved when road agencies use evidence-based tools to identify risk and prioritise safety improvements over time.
“We congratulate the South Australian Government on this milestone and its commitment to improving the safety of its regional road network.”
South Australia’s results can be explored on AusRAP’s National Dashboard. The dashboard shares analysis for over 75,000km of major roads across seven states and territories including their Star Rating by vehicle kilometres travelled, fatal and serious injury crash history, and AusRAP survey data.
Dr Allan said the publication of South Australia’s results strengthens the dashboard and supports greater transparency around road safety performance across Australia.
“AusRAP provides a consistent, nationally recognised framework for understanding road risk and identifying where upgrades can deliver the greatest safety benefits.
“By making these results publicly available, jurisdictions are helping build a clearer national picture of road safety and supporting informed investment decisions that can save lives.”
Road safety Star Ratings are a key measure supporting the National Road Safety Strategy target of ensuring at least 80 per cent of travel occurs on roads rated 3-stars or better by 2030, as part of the long-term Vision Zero goal of eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.
AusRAP assessments use the internationally recognised iRAP methodology to evaluate the level of safety built into a road, considering factors such as road design, layout, roadside features and traffic volumes. Each additional star represents an estimated fifty per cent reduction in the likelihood of death or serious injury in a crash.
South Australia’s Road Safety Strategy to 2031 includes an outcome to improve the Star Rating of South Australia’s road network.
The State’s AUD$168 million National Road Safety Programme, jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian Governments on a 50:50 basis, is delivering on the strategy with upgrades to improve roads to a 3-star rating.
The latest AusRAP data will assist in developing road safety initiatives for submission into future budget processes.
AusRAP is a led by Austroads, the association of Australasian road transport and traffic agencies.